Kayakers Naomi Flood and Jo Brigden-Jones transformed into arch rivals by Olympic chase

FORMER surf ironwoman Naomi Flood believes “the mongrel in me” helped her pull off a second kayaking upset to keep alive her bid to race in Rio.

FORMER surf ironwoman champion Naomi Flood believes “the mongrel in me” helped her pull off a second kayaking upset to keep alive her bid to race at the Rio Olympics.

Just five days after she and Jo Brigden-Jones unsuccessfully combined to chase selection in a K2 the pair have been transformed into the fiercest of rivals as they battle for the one spot remaining on the kayaking team heading to Rio.

Flood, 28, on Sunday reproduced Friday’s upset victory in the K1 500 trials in Perth to send the Olympic selection to Europe and a World Cup event in May.

“My dream is alive, it’s still alive,’’ Flood said.

“This is just bringing out the best in me, having my back against the wall.

“I just said to myself I have to give it everything. Don’t think about pain, Don’t think about anything but winning.

“These situations bring out the mongrel in me.”

Naomi Flood (left) and Jo Brigden-Jones race in the K2 500m together.

Flood believes a “nightmare’’ year of injury and personal problems have toughened her for the year ago.

“I got back and I am not going down without a fight,’’ said the former world ironwoman and Nutri-Grain series champion renown for her tenacity,

Flood recorded a the time of 1:54.77, to finish 0.76 seconds ahead of Brigden-Jones in their race-off on Sunday.

The race-off occurred after Brigden-Jones won the first trial a fortnight ago and Flood the second on Friday.

Naomi Flood racing at the National Sprint Championships in Perth.

“I don’t know where I pulled that paddle from on Friday to win the nationals and then the race-off today, far out, a lot of pressure and I feel like I have not had anything to lose since we lost the K2,” Flood said of her and Brigden-Jones missing K2 selection last Thursday.

The battle to determine who will secure the third and final place in the women’s Olympic team will now be decided at the first canoe sprint World Cup in Duisburg from the 20 to 22 May.

Whoever finishes as the highest ranked paddler in their respective events will earn the right to be nominated to the Australian Olympic Committee.

Manly's Naomi Flood back in her ironwoman days.